Predicting anti-TNF treatment failure in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

About one-third of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are treated with anti-TNF therapy. Unfortunately, treatment failure is common, and only about one-third of patients continue to take anti-TNF therapy treatment one year after starting treatment. Early identification of patients at-risk of treatment failure may help direct anti-TNF treatment monitoring, early dose optimisation, and use of mitigating strategies to allow these drugs to be used in a safer, more cost-effective manner.

The aim of this thesis was to identify and explore multiple patient, disease, and drug related factors that have been implicated in anti-TNF treatment failure, and identify management strategies in the setting of treatment failure.